Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) left more than one million customers in Visayas without electricity on Tuesday, disrupting services across eight electric cooperatives (ECs) in the region, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) reported.

As of 9AM on November 4, the affected ECs include BANELCO (Bantayan Island), BILECO (Biliran), CEBECO 2 and 3 (Cebu), CELCO (Camotes Island), ESAMELCO (Eastern Samar), and LEYECO 2 and 3 (Leyte). NEA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD) is monitoring 57 cooperatives in 35 provinces, particularly in areas hit by heavy rains and strong winds.

“423 out of 681 municipalities or 62.11% under the service areas of power cooperatives are awaiting electricity reconnection, equivalent to 3,016 affected barangays or 1,073,037 customers,” NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said.

Almeda assured that affected ECs are actively restoring power. He cited DORELCO (Don Orestes Romualdez) in Tolosa, Leyte, as needing task force support due to downed lines. “There was information on our Viber group that some lines are down… ‘Yun lang ang medyo kailangan alalayan (That is the lone EC that needs some assistance),” he said.

Eastern Visayas, as well as Dinagat Islands and Siargao in Caraga, experienced outages that have since begun improving. APEC party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc, general manager of SIARELCO (Siargao Electric Cooperative), confirmed that power restoration and line inspection efforts are underway, following safety protocols.

Almeda stressed the importance of critical service continuity, particularly in hospitals, and authorized ECs to provide financial assistance for fuel purchases. He also warned that damages to electric facilities could rise due to the storm’s scale.

“There is a safety protocol that has to be followed. Line inspection has to be done before electricity can be restored in the substations. So, just a little patience and I hope we are all safe,” he added. 

How are rural electric cooperatives preparing for typhoon season, and what strategies could minimize prolonged outages? Share your insights and experiences.

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